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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26714599">your eyes look like comin' home</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/kittymannequin/pseuds/kittymannequin'>kittymannequin</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>In this world or the next [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Avatar: Legend of Korra</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alcohol, Best Friends, Drinking, F/F, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, I don't even know how this came to be, Softness, but i like it so, it was supposed to be something else, shrug</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 07:27:10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,084</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26714599</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/kittymannequin/pseuds/kittymannequin</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>@shamie, u remember when u asked for very soft korra taking care of asami when she's drunk? </p><p>well i finally got around to finishing it and it's really flippin' soft but also, friends to lovers over the years 'cause why the heck not<br/>we do be yearnin' in this big ol' gay house anyway</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Korra/Asami Sato</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>In this world or the next [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2104662</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>340</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>your eyes look like comin' home</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>It’s just another Friday night, loud and kind of stuffy, they’re at Korra’s favorite bar, a warm, crowded little place tucked between tall buildings, with a few bikes parked out front and rock music playing from a small jukebox in the corner. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Korra watches Asami and Bolin down one shot after the other so fast that she barely has time to stop them before they’ve each grabbed the fourth one. She knows Asami well and she definitely knows Asami’s not really a tequila kind of girl, but that adorable pout on her lips and the look in her eyes that makes Korra weak at the knees is more than enough for Asami to persuade her to hand over that fourth shot for her to down. Asami does just that, slams the little glass back on the bar and throws her arms up in the air, shouting along to Bon Jovi and laughing when Bolin pulls her into his arms and drags her to the dance floor.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mako siddles closer and pokes an elbow to Korra’s side, raised eyebrow and a knowing smirk on his face when he asks her what’s up between them. Korra gives him her best confused-puppy look, tries her hardest not to acknowledge the way her heart aches when she can’t stop herself from glancing towards Asami and immediately finding her even in the dim and crowded room. She shrugs and tells him that she’s not sure and really, she isn’t. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>All she’s been sure of for some time now is that she wants to be there for Asami at the end of the day, wants to be the one Asami calls when she’s having a rough time, wants to take her home and help her change, tuck her into bed and help her drink a glass of water, get some medicine and leave it at the bedside table for her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Korra wants to be the one to do that for Asami and lately, she can’t help but think about that often, even more so now that Asami’s been working on a new engineering project that, to Korra, is all a bunch of numbers and sketches and words she doesn’t really understand. But Korra wants to be there through all the stress, and she definitely wants to be there when Asami relaxes, wants to smile and laugh and tell her she’s being silly when she tries to drunk-drag Korra to the dance floor.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>So she stays leaning against the bar, shying away from Mako’s knowing glances and occasionally catching Asami’s soft, almost shy ones across the room. She doesn’t want to impose on her fun so she simply watches Bolin and Asami dance the night off, heart only feeling at ease at the end of the night when Asami takes her hand and pulls her away from everyone else. Korra lets herself be dragged to a small alleyway on the side where Asami leans into her fully, front to front, arms around Korra’s shoulders, face nuzzled against her neck, and whispers something against her skin, something Korra doesn’t understand, but feels the wisp of a breath and the press of Asami’s lips and it only further settles the soft, pleasant ache in her heart.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It comes so naturally to her, when she tells Mako and Bolin that she’s taking Asami home, and with their hands entwined they take the first taxi back to Korra’s apartment and she helps Asami toe out of her shoes and slip off her jacket. With a sort of rush to her movements, Asami pulls at her blouse and manages to take it off as well, unbuttoning her jeans and simply letting them fall behind her as she makes her way to Korra’s bedroom. When she’s finally settled in bed, there’s a trail of clothes in Korra’s apartment and she follows it with a smile, a bottle of water and an advil in her hands. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Korra’s voice is as soft as she can manage, when she gently nudges Asami to sit up and murmurs quietly, urging her to drink some water before helping her back down and tucking her in. Maybe it’s not the way she wants it, but it’s so much more intimate, closer, and Korra’s happy to take care of her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She settles on the couch but leaves the door open, in case Asami wakes up and needs her, needs anything really. Sleep doesn’t come easily, but there’s a calm in Korra’s chest that, somehow, she’s been missing all this time.</span>
</p>
<hr/><p>
  <span>The next time it happens, it’s been a long, exhausting two weeks for Asami and Korra asks the rest of the crew to come out and relax, enjoy a night of drinking, dancing and not worrying about anything. Because Asami needs to just let go of her worries and relax, and Korra knows how to get her to relax. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She doesn’t expect it to happen again, but after spending the night watching her from afar while simultaneously shying away from Mako’s knowing glances, it comes like second nature when she takes Asami’s hand and tells the guys they’re going home. She doesn’t even realize she’d called it home until they’re halfway there and Asami squeezes her fingers around Korra’s with a soft, dazed little smile. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Korra doesn’t plan on it, but she still ends up helping Asami get her clothes off, she still tucks her in with tender touches and soft glances, still brings her a bottle of water and an advil and tells her she’ll be right outside if she needs anything. There’s a moment where she hovers close, drawn to the way Asami’s eyes seem to be asking her to </span>
  <em>
    <span>just stay</span>
  </em>
  <span> but she shakes the thought away and grabs her pj’s, leaves the door open and settles on the couch.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sleep doesn’t come easy after that.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It’s a couple of months later when Asami calls her in the middle of the night and Korra bumps her foot against the bedside table and almost trips over herself in her haste to put her clothes on while Asami drunk-rambles on the phone. Korra asks her four times where she is, her voice soft and soothing, and when Asami’s finally coherent enough to tell her, Korra’s already out of her parking spot and driving almost like a maniac to get to her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It’s not far and she finds her easily, spots the tall figure leaning against a building close to a loud nightclub, sees the way Asami’s fixated on her phone and giggling softly to herself. Korra has to stop in her tracks, has to give herself a few moments to simply take in the sight, the stray locks of hair falling across Asami’s face, the way her face lights up at whatever it is she’s watching on her phone, how her nose crinkles when one of the hairs tickles at it. Korra takes it all in and the ache in her heart seems to vanish for the time being, replaced by a warmth she doesn’t know how to explain, one that seems to expand and spread through her whole being when she finally walks over and Asami looks up to meet her eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There’s something about Asami’s smile that settles the fire in Korra’s chest, stoking it at the same time, and it feels like everything falls into place when Asami steps into her space and wraps her arms around Korra’s shoulders. There’s hardly any hesitation in Korra’s body when she brings her arms around Korra’s waist and pulls her closer, feels the way Asami nuzzles into her and breathes her in.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Just friends</span>
  </em>
  <span>, Korra has to remind herself.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Just friends.</span>
</p>
<hr/><p>
  <span>Korra doesn’t really remember at what point the lines between them became so blurry. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>One moment they were best friends, close and spending so much time together - yet it was never enough - and the next, they were something more than friends, something undefined but deep, something they both seemed to want more of and couldn’t, </span>
  <b>no</b>
  <span>, didn’t know how to ask for.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It’s exactly how she finds herself out with the </span>
  <em>
    <span>gang</span>
  </em>
  <span> again, leaning against the bar with a drink in her hand and Mako’s knowing gaze all but piercing through her from the side. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re in love with her.” He says and Korra feels it deep in her chest. She’s thankful, in a way, that Mako says it because she herself was too scared, too worried of what it might mean if she put her feelings into words and gave meaning to all the ache and yearning in her heart.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She doesn’t deny it. She can’t. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>And he doesn’t say more. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>They spend the rest of the night hanging out, watching over Bolin and Asami, and at the end of the night, Korra ends up taking Asami back to hers, tucking her into bed and really - it feels nicer than most things. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It feels warm and comfortable, and she thinks she might enjoy taking care of her for the rest of her life.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But the thought is terrifying, and fleeting, and she focuses on the now, rather than tomorrow, and for the moment allows herself to be content with what she has. It’s not until Asami grabs her hand right as she’s about to leave, and stares up at her with pleading eyes that Korra has to reconsider her </span>
  <em>
    <span>‘leaving it for later’ </span>
  </em>
  <span>plan. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Stay with me?” Asami murmurs and those three little words burrow their way into Korra’s chest, they squeeze in somewhere right between her ribs and her heart, like a blanket of warmth pulled around her heart. “Please?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>And Korra does, without a moment’s hesitation.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She tells her she’ll be right there, turns off the lights in the apartment, washes up and changes into her pj’s, and it’s only when she reaches the door of her own bedroom that she realizes just how much she wants this, how much she wants even more.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Asami’s still up when she walks in, and she turns to face her when Korra slips under the covers, only waiting a moment or two before shifting closer and nuzzling against Korra’s neck. She mumbles something then, Korra can’t really understand her, but she wraps an arm around Asami nonetheless, brings her closer until they’re all but melded together, and sleep comes much easier that night.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When she wakes up, some time in the middle of the night, Asami’s laying half atop her, arm and leg thrown over Korra’s form, nose pressing against her jaw as she rests on Korra’s shoulder. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Korra knows she wants this more than anything.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She yawns and shifts a little, hesitant to wrap an arm around Asami, when a soft, croaky voice tickles at her jaw.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You can hold me too, you know?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Korra swallows.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I.. I want you to.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Asami’s voice is softer now, small and.. Scared? </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Korra reaches around her almost on instinct, the need to protect Asami, to take care of her stronger than any doubt or fear or worry she might have. There’s no hesitance in the way she brings both arms around Asami’s waist, no tentative, slow shifting, no time for her to worry about what it might mean. Asami sighs and relaxes against her when Korra’s arms are safely curled around her form.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>For now, it’s enough.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Or so she thinks.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m in love with you.” It comes out quiet, barely above the sound of their soft breaths. Korra doesn’t even know where she finds the courage to speak the words out loud and she actually catches herself gasping for air when she realizes what it is she just said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Asami lays still for a few moments longer, before she begins shifting, until she’s got one arm propped to the side and Korra can just barely make out the shade of her eyes in the soft, warm glow of the small night lamp set down beside the bed when their eyes finally meet. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She knows the shade by heart anyway.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A moment passes, two, three even, before Asami’s lips curl in that familiar, warm and little smile, the one that always makes Korra’s heart hitch a bit when she sees it. She knows it’s reserved only for her, only she ever gets to see it. With it, Asami leans down, so slowly that Korra wonders if this is Asami’s way of asking if it’s okay for her to do it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Korra doesn’t want to wait though, and it’s so much more than just okay, so she tilts her head up and meets her halfway, lips slightly parted. She meets her in a short little press of their lips, too short to really call it a kiss, but Asami inhales her in and kisses her again, longer this time, her own lips parted and </span>
  <em>
    <span>so soft</span>
  </em>
  <span> against Korra’s own, as she brings her other hand up and Korra feels Asami’s palm at the side of her face. It lasts, each press of their lips together longer than the one before, each one just a little deeper, just a little more tender than the last. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>But neither take it too far, content to simply bask in each other’s presence and breathe one another in when Asami pulls back only enough to rest her forehead against Korra’s, the tip of her nose brushing the side of Korra’s.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Me too.” Asami murmurs then, still so close, so tender. “I’m in love with you too.” She adds, to make sure Korra understand, to make it clear even if she’s known for a while now.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She brushes her nose against Korra’s once more, and pulls back slowly with a gentle peck pressed to Korra’s lips, eyes shining even in the dim light, a glimmer of unshed tears glistening at the very edges. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Korra’s smile matches her own and it’s not long before Asami lays back down again, resting her head on Korra’s shoulder and burrowing closer, nuzzling against her neck and breathing her in. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>But it’s just a little different this time.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A little warmer.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A little softer.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And Korra can’t wipe the smile off her face, doesn’t want to, not when her arms are wrapped safely around Asami and her gentle breaths begin lulling Korra to sleep. With the last bit of consciousness she tilts her head and presses her lips to Asami’s hair, a small, gentle kiss to the side of her head as her eyes close.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She sleeps better than she has in a long time.</span>
</p>
<hr/><p>
  <span>Korra finds herself groaning with a languid, slow breath when the first rays of sun peek through the window and shine upon her side of the bed. It takes a while for her to actually open her eyes, after she shields herself from the sun, but when she finally does, she does it slowly, relaxed and rested, stretching her arms above her head and taking in the sight before her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Asami lay beside her, all messy and completely relaxed, arms and legs both spread out wide, an elbow pushing against Korra’s side. Even years later, it still makes Korra grin, how wild, unrestrained and ungraceful Asami can be while she sleeps. She focuses on the knuckle pressing against her side, it’s not uncomfortable, not in a way Korra would mind. More like a soft pressure against her side, than anything else, really.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her mind wanders back to years ago, when she’d take care of Asami every time she’d let herself relax a little more than usual, how she’d tuck her into bed and bring her water and painkillers, how soft and small Asami’s voice was whenever she mumbled how much she loved Korra. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She didn’t know it back then, but they’d discussed it many times since, went back through everything, talked and laughed and shared thoughts between kisses, but Korra thinks there may have always been something between them, even from day one. It may have always been just a little more than mere friendship, something familiar and comfortable yet more exciting than anything else, something that, to this day, makes her feel safer and more cared for than anything else ever has.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She stretches out as far as she can and tilts her head down to press a soft, gentle kiss to Asami’s forehead, warmth buzzing through her. There’s a slight twitch between her brows, barely noticeable, before she shifts and burrows closer to Korra’s form, sliding an arm around her waist and bringing herself closer.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sleeeeeeeeep more…” Asami half-grumbles, pulling her closer and throwing a leg over Korra’s own and pulling herself half-atop her. “Too early..” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Korra can’t help the small chuckle that escapes her. “That’s my line.” She murmurs, voice still thick with sleep, but warm nonetheless. With a slow shift she moves both her arms to Asami’s waist, tugging her closer until Asami’s head is resting against her shoulder and she can feel the soft press of her lips on her neck. “Morning, sleepyhead.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Asami hums instead of a reply, and presses a kiss to her skin, slow and languid, before wrapping her arm more firmly around Korra and nuzzling into her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Reluctant to look away, as if she’ll miss something extraordinary in those few seconds she looks away, Korra glances to the small clock on the bedside table, sighing and kissing the top of Asami’s head when she looks back to her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s still early.” She murmurs, one hand firmly set at the small of Asami’s back, with the other she tugs her shirt a little and slips her hand underneath, lips spreading in a smile when her palm presses against Asami’s soft skin. “Sleep a little more.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Asami’s reply comes in the form of a small huff before she shifts a little and half-straddles her, before relaxing and letting herself lay atop Korra. It’s not long before Korra feels soft, steady breaths puff against her neck. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She smiles and brings her arms tighter around Asami, just a small little squeeze before relaxing again, as she kisses the top of her head once more and leans back, staring up at the ceiling. The smile on her face refuses to leave, and her cheeks feel as if they’ll split if she smiles any longer, but the warmth that’s been spreading from her chest to her stomach, making the butterflies there flutter just like the first day she saw Asami, makes her think the little pain in her cheeks from all the smiling is absolutely worth it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>So she smiles wider and closes her eyes, letting sleep overcome her once more.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She sleeps better than she ever has.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>for more korrasami/catradora/clexa/beauyasha content, swing by my tumblr/twitter @kittymannequin<br/>--</p><p>quick notif for my readers that might not have seen it on my tumblr: i will be restructuring my ao3 profile so the fics that were posted as chapters of one single fic (like prompt fics), will be edited and reuploaded as standalone fics but as part of a series. i'm doing this because i want to make them more easily accessible for my lovely readers that might want to come back to some fics, so you don't have to go looking for that specific fic through a bunch of unrelated chapters. this will also make it much easier for me to possibly expand on any of the fics, if i ever feel like it/get requests or prompts for it. so expect to see old works (about 70 or so short oneshot fics) reuploaded as standalones in a series in the coming days. </p><p>if u wanna know how you can support me and my work, check out my tumblr/twitter @kittymannequin :)</p></blockquote></div></div>
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